Conflicts, Wars, and Such
by twihardandveryobsessed
Summary: A war is no big deal. Not unless your loved ones are involved. Corona is under attack and naturally, the nations are involved. Title sucks, summary sucks, but you will not be disappointed. Rated T and angst in later chapters. One OC pairing.
1. Surprise

**A/N: Okay, so this crossover was written by two people, and the other person is my best friend, Tea! Anyways, she writes most of the Hetalia parts and I'm the one that writes most of the Tangled parts. We don't own **_**anything**_** except for the plot! Which also really sucks. -_- Anyways, that was practically the disclaimer, so please, read and **_**review**_**! I can **_**not**_** stress that enough! :P But there is such thing as free will, so, do whatever you want. Just enjoy it! Because now I sound like an **_**idiot**_**!...**

"Uh, Rapunzel, this isn't necessary." Emily sighed as her brunette friend carefully stitched white fabric around her body. Rapunzel laughed, still sewing. Pascal sat on her shoulder, pointing to where the next stitch should be.

"It totally is! It's your birthday!" the brown haired girl responded happily. Emily shrugged, getting scolded by Rapunzel for moving. "I just don't get why I need a big ball for my birthday. I'm just turning one hundred and fifteen." Rapunzel giggled.

"What?" Emily asked in exasperation. Rapunzel giggled again. "You're old!" Emily sighed, rolling her blue-green eyes. "I'm actually a young country. Most are thousands of years old."

"Yeah, yeah." Rapunzel said, continuing the stitching. She grabbed a pin, pinning two pieces of fabric together.

"Ouch! Be careful where you put those pins!"

"Sorry. I'm almost done anyway."

"Thank goodness!" Emily cheered. She had been standing for three hours straight! Her legs felt like melting, begging her to sit down. She heard the snip of scissors on thread and stretched, her joints popping in protest. As she sat down on a plush chair, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Emily called. The doors creaked open, Emily making a mental note to oil the hinges later.

Rapunzel looked up and smiled. "Hey, Eugene!" He came in and smiled right back at her, pulling her up close to him and twirled her around, making her giggle. He set her down and kissed her softly on the lips, and she happily returned the kiss. Emily smiled, seeing the young couple so happy together. He turned to Emily and saw her in the dress, and grinned at her.

"Did my little Punzie put you up to this _again_?"

She smirked. "Well, yeah. At least it wasn't as bad as last time."

Rapunzel pouted. "Hey! I'm just trying to make the ball memorable!"

"No, don't worry, with the amount of dresses I have, it sure is going to be memorable." Emily joked. Rapunzel looked like she was fighting a losing battle, trying to hold back a laugh. Her boyfriend, Eugene, had noticed that, though. He smirked mischievously and edged toward her. "Looks like you need to relax, princess. Maybe you need some help from...the _Tickle Monster_!" And he grabbed her before she had a chance to do anything about it and started tickling her. Poor Pascal had to hang on for his life (although that might be a bit exaggerated) so he wouldn't be thrown from his best friend's shoulder. Rapunzel was doubling over with laughter, and they finally collapsed on the floor, her lying on top of him and pinning his arms down. "HA!"

Emily busted out laughing as Rapunzel poked Eugene's neck, making him writhe with laughter. Emily clutched her sides as she watched her friend being tortured by his girlfriend. Tears streamed down her face as the grandfather clock chimed 7 PM. Everyone froze. Rapunzel was the first to recover.  
>"Oh my gosh! It's almost time! We need to get ready!" she cried, rushing out of the room, tugging Eugene behind her. Emily sighed. Soon she'll have to dance. And she hates dancing.<p>

o~*~o

"I've told you already, Blondie, I don't want to go!" Eugene sighed. This was just another chance for all the snobby princes to take advantage of the situation and dance with her. That would probably lead to a visit to the balcony _alone_ where they would- '_don't you dare think of the p- word!'_ he scolded himself. Okay, so he didn't propose yet because he didn't think the time was right. Anyway, that came to an advantage, spending more time with her so she could fall more in love with him. '_Now I _sound_ like a prince!'_ he shouted at himself inwardly, and told himself to calm down. '_Whatever makes her happy is fine with me'._ Now, through this long, heated discussion with himself, he hadn't noticed that Rapunzel had stopped walking, looking at him with those adorable (but now concerned) green eyes of hers.

"Eugene? Are you...okay?"

He looked down at her, surprised. "Yeah...yeah, just... just lost in thought, I guess." He smirked.

She grinned up at him. "Hmm, now where have I heard that before?" She giggled, "Come on, we'll miss the dance if we don't come early enough!" She dragged him along with her, him rolling his eyes all the while. _'Anything that makes her happy, huh? Well, this is certainly going to be interesting.'_

o~*~o

Emily stood before almost the entirety of the kingdom. She stood next to the king who was reciting his speech to the crowd. The queen sat on her throne next to her and Rapunzel sat next to her mother. Emily sighed, she hates standing in front of crowds. It's like awaiting being fed to dogs.  
>"And now, we may dance. Happy birthday, Corona! Happy birthday, Emily!" the King announced. The crowd chanted a happy birthday before turning to their partners, dancing as the music began. Emily sighed before slowly sneaking behind the thrones. Time to escape -<br>"Oh no you don't!" Rapunzel cried, grabbing onto Emily's arm, stopping her. Emily turned, shoulders slumping as she pouted. Her eyes watered, enlarging, creating her signature puppy dog face. Rapunzel contemplated releasing her friend, but dismissed that thought. She had a mission after all.  
>"You're not running away yet! Eugene's waiting with your birthday present!"<p>

o~*~o

"So," Eugene fidgeted, standing in the hallway awkwardly next to...well, let's just call it Emily's birthday present, "Why didn't you visit again?"

"I couldn't." the present answered awkwardly. "My king wouldn't allow it. He said something along the lines of 'government being ruined if I visited.'" he paused. "But being the awesome person I am, I persuaded my ruler to let me visit!"

Eugene smirked. Here was someone he could relate with. He held out his fist and the present answered by pounding it. "Umm, just out of curiosity, how _exactly_ did you _persuade_ him?"

"He died of old age. He was 89 years old. His grandson became king and was awesome enough to let me come here!" the present's smirk grew into a distant smile. "How's the birthday girl? I haven't seen her for forty years."

Eugene's eyes widened. _'Okay, first off, you don't do that to a guy!'_ He bit his lip. "Well...umm...I've only known her for like two years or so, so...she's ...fine...I guess?"

The present caught Eugene's reluctance, raising an eyebrow in response. "Guess I freaked you out there. So, how'd ya meet Em?"

"Well, I wasn't really the first one to meet her, Punzie was. Then she introduced her to me." Eugene seemed to be remembering something touchy, so Mr. Present shrugged, staring into the hallway. Some girls were giggling, pointing at him, muttering things like "cute" and "prince?". Suddenly, a girl's voice was heard, yelling down the hall. Eugene and the present turned, a smile forming on Eugene's face, while the present bit his lip in sudden nervousness.

"Keep them closed!" Rapunzel yelped in excitement as they came nearer. Emily bit her lip, holding back laughter at her friend's sudden excitement, and covered her eyes with both hands. Rapunzel rushed into her boyfriend's waiting arms, and they kissed quickly, but passionately.

"Uh, Rapunzel, can I open my eyes now?" Emily asked, holding her hands out to keep from bumping into people. Mr. Present felt a slight blush forming on his cheeks. Emily look wonderful. Her hair was down and she wore a simple white dress with a gold sash.

"On three. One...two..." Rapunzel stopped for dramatic effect. Emily groaned, eyelids twitching slightly. "Three!" Emily's eyes snapped open and she cried out in shock. She blinked, rubbing her eyes to see if it was only an illusion. Her present was there alright, smiling down at her.  
>"G-Gilbert?" Emily asked with uncertainty. Gilbert, her present, nodded, cheeks becoming a light shade of pink. He stuck out his hand, Emily taking it. They shook hands, unsure about what to do next.<br>"It's been so long!" Emily muttered. She remembered the last time they saw each other. They had been teenagers, and now they are young adults. Unshed tears welled up in Emily's eyes as she slowly hugged her old friend. "Forty years..." they both muttered. The other couple backed away slowly, as not to spoil the perfect moment. They came back into the ball room, where they started dancing as if nothing had happened.

"So," Eugene murmured into his beloved's ear, "You finally did something right."

She laughed silently, "Oh, don't I always?"

He smiled down at her, "Well then, what else did you do right?"

She leaned up to whisper in his ear, "I let you in my tower, didn't I?"

He laughed, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you more."

"I love you most."

o~*~o

Gilbert and Emily sat on the stone benches in the garden, catching up on each others lives. Emily laughed happily at Gilbert's story of the time when the king got drunk and ran around the castle screaming "I GOT A JAR OF DIRT!"

Gilbert stared at Emily as she told the story of how she and Rapunzel met. Emily was exploring, wanting to know her country better when she ran into the tower. She met Gothel when she was about to get paint for five year old Rapunzel and eventually became Rapunzel's babysitter.

Suddenly, a waltz began to play inside the ballroom. Emily groaned, standing up.

"I'm sorry, Prussia. It's the waltz. I have to dance with some random guy." she said bitterly, glaring at the unknowing dancers. Gilbert...Prussia, laughed, standing to face Emily. "You know, I've been practicing my waltz, so I bet I can dance better than you, partner?" Emily laughed, taking his hand and running inside. "Challenge accepted!"

**A/N: Like I said, please review! Reviews are love! And you also might get a hug from whatever character you want! Now, I have to do something...*runs off chasing Romano* **


	2. First Attack

**A/N: Cool, we gots one review! That's pretty good for a Tangled/Hetalia crossover, right? Right? Anyway, I **_**think**_** this chapter begins the angst. Yeah, I know I said later chapters, but chapter two is a later chapter to chapter one right? Or I could be totally off...Please, read and review, no matter how weird this author's note gets! We **_**still**_** don't own anything...yet...*runs off planning to dominate Disney* *comes back, panting* Okay, so we don't own anything. Cool, I can live with dat! ...*sobs* no, no, I'm okay, really! ****I just...*sobs* I'm fine, I'm- *sob* I'm gonna go now *hic***

Taking her hand in his, Gilbert led Emily into the ballroom. They moved with the crowd, dancing while weaving through the groups of people. Emily raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

"Wow, you are a good dancer!" Emily said, mocking shock. Gilbert laughed, his red eyes shining. "Well, you'd have to expect that from a Teutonic Knight!" Emily raised an eyebrow. "A knight?" Gilbert bit his lip, thinking of an answer.

"Well, not exactly. We aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land. We're also a crusading military order." Emily nodded in understanding. Gilbert looked to the ceiling, felling that the conversation was becoming pointed towards him. An idea popped into his head. "Hey, Emily, I never really knew, what is Corona's history?" Emily thought for a moment.

"Well, I was formed when a group of plague survivors came upon a vast empty land. They settled in it, and people from all over came for the fertile soil. Eventually, a farmer, Phillip, became king and set up the kingdom. It's a very simple history. Since there weren't many wars, we grew fast. So, here I am."

Suddenly, music began to play. To Rapunzel and Eugene, though, it was familiar music. Rapunzel's eyes grew huge and tears of joy came to her eyes. She gasped, "Eugene...do you...do you remember this?"

He smiled softly. He was on a distant planet- the planet of the past, where he was remembering their first- but unofficial- date. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." He suddenly smirked. "Let's actually dance _together_ this time?"

She returned the smile. "Was that an invitation to dance, Mr. Fitzherbert?"

He winced a little hearing his name used like that, but immediately smiled and bowed, holding his hand out to her. "May I have the honor of dancing with you tonight, Princess?"

Rapunzel giggled, "Well, alright." He swung her off her feet and on to the dance floor, making her laugh. Hands starting clapping, fiddlers starting playing, and the dance began.

Emily paused, making Gilbert stop the waltz. She looked to the side to see the refreshments tables...no buffet. Gilbert followed her gaze and nodded, leading them towards the foods and drinks. Getting some sparkling cider, Emily sat down, exhausted. Gilbert sat next to her, huffing from exhaustion. They chatted briefly before a foreign looking girl approached them.

"E-excuse me," her Coronian wasn't very good. Definitely a foreigner. "can I d-dance with y-you?" she paused, worry in her eyes. She seemed to be afraid that she'd said the wrong thing. Gilbert's face lit up with recognition. He responded in a different language. The girl smiled, sighing in relief. She nodded at Gilbert's speech, smiling. Gilbert turned to Emily.

"She's from my country. Do you mind if I dance with her?" Emily shook her head. "Go ahead. I'm tired so I'll stay here." With that, Gilbert led the girl to the dance floor.

Rapunzel was pulling people in again, but this time, she was dancing with Eugene all the while, holding his hand real tight as not to let someone steal him away. Once everyone was on the dance floor, she began twirling and spinning and reluctantly accepted people's offers to dance with her. They were torn yet again, but this time, instead of paying too much attention on the music **(A/N: It hurt to write this, I thought you should know)**, she paid attention on getting back with Eugene. And she was successful. He reached her with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. She laughed gaily as he twirled her high in the air, shoulder-length brunette hair flying in the night breeze. He set her down and twirled her around, smiling as much as she was.

Emily raised an eyebrow as Gilbert danced with the girl. She noticed how Gilbert was glancing towards her every so often. Each time she'd form her hands into a heart, teasingly mouthing, "c'est l'amour!", making Gilbert glare at her when the girl he was dancing with wasn't looking. He watched as a young man approached Emily, bowing. Emily nodded, standing and being led onto the dance floor. A rather lively dance started, people randomly switching partners. They saw Rapunzel and Eugene being separated as they tried to make their way to each other. Suddenly, Gilbert noticed the girl he was dancing with. "Oh, hi, Princess Rapunzel."

"Oh, hello, Gilbert." Rapunzel answered distractedly. _Again_. They got separated _again_. She looked around, trying to catch Eugene's eye while he was trying to catch hers. "How-how're you?" He was still shooting glances at Emily when he saw Rapunzel was trying to do the same thing with _her_ boyfriend. "

He chuckled. "Seems like we've been trying to do the same thing. Tell you what, I'll let you go and you can get to your boyfriend while I can get to-" He realized what he was saying a second after Rapunzel did. She smirked. "Mmm?" He turned pink, "I'll go get Emily." She nodded, amused, and went off to find her original dancing partner. Turns out, Emily ended up with Eugene and they were in the same situation, except Eugene called Gilbert his partner's boyfriend, earning a blush from the girl. They managed to dance their way back to their original partners and enjoyed the song until a loud blast rung through the ballroom.

People were screaming and yelling and running around trying to find their loved ones. A giant boulder was settled- very close to the spot where the thrones once were. Rapunzel freaked. "Mom! Dad!" she yelled repeatedly as she tried to make it to the giant ten foot wide boulder. "Rapunzel! Rapunzel!" Eugene was calling her name from the other side of the ballroom, but she ignored it. She _had_ to find her parents. "Mom! Dad!" she yelled with as much force as she had ten times before. "Rapunzel!" Rapunzel felt someone grab her arm and she whipped it away. "What?" she yelled- right into her boyfriends face. He ignored it and tugged on her arm, gritting his teeth while trying to get through the thick crowd of people. "We've _got_ to get out of here!" She didn't notice the tears flowing down her face until he stared at her with confusion. "Punzie," he asked, his voice soft, "Punzie, you okay?" She grit her teeth, "I-I have to go find my parents." He thought about it for a moment, then solemnly nodded and they headed for the giant boulder.

Emily stopped abruptly, clutching her head. She shook it, trying to calm the pain from the headache that the attack gave her. Gilbert was at her side, watching in understanding. Another crash was heard, Emily growling in annoyance. Her headache slowly became worse as Gilbert grabbed her hand, rushing outside. They stopped in their tracks. People, clad in black, were holding the King and Queen, knives pointed at their throats.

Rapunzel, dragging Eugene along behind her, came up behind them. She gasped in pure horror, and even more tears flowed down her cheeks as she fell to her knees, sobbing openly. Eugene grit his teeth and reached for his sword, but a man in a black cloak with his hood covering his face, shouted, "NO! Stop! Or we will kill your beloved king and queen." Eugene reluctantly put his sword back. "Who are you-"he started, "-and what do you want?" Gilbert finished. The man in the cloak seemed to be smirking. "What we want? Revenge." Emily scowled. "Who would you want to hurt, kill, or injure in any way?" she croaked. The man gave a harsh chuckle and swept his cloak around him at the same time his comrades did, and they disappeared- along with the knives from their Majesties' throats.

Rapunzel rushed forward and into her parent's arms, all of them weeping silently. Eugene, however, was cussing silently. Emily stared up at him. "What's wrong?" He stopped and glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. "I- I saw their...their armor in the moonlight. The crest of the kingdom they work for. I'm afraid I..." he let out a deep sigh. "I know their leader."

**A/N: BUM BUM BUM! CLIFFHANGER! And don't you worry, there'll be plenty of those in the story for everyone! Yeah, I know, not helping. If you love it, don't forget to review! Please? *puppy dog eyes***


	3. Trapped

**A/N: Cool. Two reviews. **_**Not**_** gonna freak out, **_**not**_** gonna freak out. But you have to admit, you can do better than that. Now, I'm not gonna post this according to the number of reviews because I have EPIC plans for this story, but please, **_**please, **__**please REVIEW!**_** Reviews mean more to us than you would ever know. Just remember that. BTW, there's a Princess Bride quote hidden in the chapter. See if you can find it. Disclaimer- we still don't own anything. Yet...*looks over to Disney mischievously* **

**Disney: No.**

**Me: Awwww! Pleeeaaaase?**

**Disney: *smirks* No.**

**Me: *pouts* For an ecstatic Tangled fan? Pleeeeaaaaase?**

**Disney: No.**

**Me: *sticks tongue out***

Gilbert led Emily through the halls. He clutched her wrist like a lifeline, beginning to drag her through the castle. Every so often, Emily would speak up, telling him which corridor to take and what to watch out for. Eventually, they made it to Emily's room in one piece. Gilbert laughed happily.

"I'm so awesome I managed to find your room!" Emily laughed. She hugged Gilbert quickly before retreating into her room, closing the door until she could just barely stick her head out. Smirking at Gilbert's light blush, she spoke. "Go to the left, until you reach the stairs. Guest room's to the right. Night!" she closed the door, leaving a slightly embarrassed Gilbert to find his room.

o~*~o

Eugene kissed Rapunzel's head, tucking her in. He stared at her with adoring, protective hazel eyes and smiled. "Don't worry, Princess. Everything's going to be alright.

She smiled back at him with a hint of worry in _her_ eyes. "I know that. With you around, I feel so...so safe. You know what I mean? But, I-" She sighed, "I just can't help thinking that all this is my fault, that the whole kingdom was _my_ responsibility in the first place." He rolled his eyes. "Punzie, don't worry about a _thing_. After all," he smirked, "You _do_ have your beloved Flynn Rider on your side."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, you and your fake reputation."

He chuckled," But you know you love it."

She smiled and pulled him down so their noses touched. "I don't love _it_. I love _you_."

o~*~o

The next morning, Eugene burst into the living room, a nervous mess. Emily and Gilbert both stood up, sensing the urgency in his voice. "I-I need help!" Gilbert closed the doors while Emily led Eugene onto the couch, offering him a drink. Eugene gulped down the drink, setting it down with a "clunk". When he made sure that Emily and Gilbert were listening, he spoke. "I-I need help proposing to Rapunzel." Emily nodded. "What are you gonna do?"

Eugene sighed. "I'm gonna get down on one knee at dinner and-" he was cut off by Emily's and Gilbert's burst of sudden laughter. "What?" he asked, desperate to find a flaw in his plan.

"That's too old. You gotta bring her somewhere meaningful, like where you guys first met or something." Gilbert explained, sniggering softly. Eugene stood, shaking Gilbert's hand. He walked towards the door, smiling. "You're right!" with that, he ran out and into the hallway. Emily gasped, rushing to the door. "WAIT! Do you have the ring?" Eugene yelled back, not even stopping. "YEAH!"

He ran throughout the hallway, rounded around the corner, and stopped right in front of Rapunzel's door. He was so happy he hadn't remembered that he was the suave gentleman when it came to these things, not the overexcited fool he was now. He stopped and thought for a moment. He _had_ to make this memorable. He sighed. He was going to have to raid the gardens again.

o~*~o

Pascal kept motioning towards his finger, and making dreamy faces and squeaks on her bed, and she had to admit, it was pretty cute, but it was getting annoying. "Okay, okay, Pascal! I get it! It's his choice to do it though. It's not up to-" She was cut off by the sweet sound of a guitar playing beneath her balcony. She frowned, confused, and walked over to the balcony and leaned on the edge looking down. She grinned when she saw who it was. "Oh, _Eugene_, I never knew you could play the _guitar_!" He grinned back up at her. "One of the many things you don't know about me." He continued playing, softly singing to the tune.

_"You're the best of both worlds_

_You're the kind of girl that can take down a man_

_And bring him back up again,_

_You are strong, but you're needy_

_Humble, but you're greedy_

_And based on you body language, a shouty cursive I've been reading..."_

Rapunzel laughed at his attempt to woo her and grabbed the rope that conveniently hung from the balcony edge. She slid down and into Eugene's waiting arm- the other was holding the guitar. She smiled, with a hint of curiosity, "What's all this for?"

He chuckled. "Eh, I'm a complicated person. But I do see a path of rose petals awaiting you."

She frowned up at him in confusion. "They look bruised!"

He winced. "No reason. Now, follow."

o~*~o

Emily sat alone in the dining room. Glibert had decided to cook for Emily, claiming that his food would be an awesome breakfast. The doors burst open and Gilbert walked in, carrying a tray of steaming bread. There was what appeared to be seeds sprinkled over the crust. Gilbert set the tray on the table, handing a small loaf to his friend before taking one himself.

"It's called sunflower bread. It's really good." Gilbert said before biting into his. Emily did the same, smiling as warmth spread through her body. "This is wonderful!" she said, finishing her small loaf. Gilbert, however paused. He pinched the bite mark in his bread, pulling. Out came a small roll of paper. "How'd that get in there?" He read the neat letters aloud.

"'_The attack was a warning. Try the drink. - The Shadows.'_" Gilbert folded up the paper and placing it in his pocket. Emily gasped. Sure enough, there was a glass of warm apple cider, sitting on the middle of the large table. Gilbert walked over, grasping the glass. He inhaled, frowning, before taking a sip of the cider. He frowned again, dropping the glass. It fell to the floor, shattering into millions of small pieces. Emily nodded slowly in understanding. It was poisoned.

"What poison was it?" Emily asked. Gilbert smirked slightly."Iocane powder. It's odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid and is among the most deadly poisons known to man." Emily frowned. "But how come you haven't been affected?"

"I've grown an immunity. I knew it was Iocane when my stomach began to cramp."

As Emily and Gilbert were cleaning up the remains of the shattered glass, a knock caught their attention. They looked toward the large stained glass window, seeing noting but colored light. SMASH

The window shattered, showering the floor with glass. A small shape emerged from the piles of colored glass, its plain color standing out like a light in darkness. They cautiously approached the shape, Gilbert picking it up. It was a rock, covered in twine. A small wad of paper was tied to the rock, it jutting out of the rope just enough to pull out. Discarding the rock, Gilbert read the note.

_'So you didn't fall for the drink? Smart. Your friends, however, are quite stupid, going to that tower right after our warning. They're trapped in that tower, and we're going to set it aflame if you do not come to rescue them. There's a secret entrance, miss Emily. Do you remember it? - The Shadows'_ Gilbert rolled his eyes as Emily re-read the note. She crumpled it up, throwing it out the broken window. She grabbed Gilbert's hand, leading him out the door. Gilbert didn't have to ask. They were going to the tower.

o~*~o 

Rapunzel stared above her in wonder. The tower seemed so much bigger now that she'd been away for nearly two years. A sudden grin broke her awed face. "Come on, Eugene! I've been away for so long, I've almost forgotten _everything_ about it!"

Eugene smiled and rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, whatever you want, Blondie." He began following her up the small hill, watching her feel around the brick base of the tower. "Aha!" she exclaimed and pulled down all the vines and leaves covering the secret entrance. She stepped over what was left of the bricks that used to cover the gaping hole in the side of the tower and walked cautiously up the cobwebbed brick staircase. He followed behind her in case she should fall. When they got all the way up to the top of the staircase, Rapunzel lifted a tile above her with all her might, popping open the secret entrance. They walked inside, and she walked around, touching everything from the walls to the frying pans. Eugene gazed with wonder at her amazing art.

"You painted all this by yourself?" he asked.

"Mmhm." she answered distractedly. She walked over to the staircase and climbed it, carefully picking her way to her bedroom. She sat down on her bed and dug under her pillow, finding the purple flag with the sun on it- the symbol of Corona. Tears filled her eyes.

"Hey." she called softly," Do you remember this?"

Eugene walked over and smiled instantly. "Of course I do. I bought it for you, didn't I?" He sighed wistfully. "The best two and a half days of my life."

She smiled back up at him," Mine too, you know."

He sat on the bed next to her and they both leaned into a kiss- that is, before the rock came flying through the glass window. Shards of glass flew everywhere, and Eugene protectively wrapped his arms around Rapunzel, shielding her from them. A few seconds after they had recovered from shock, he walked over to the rock. It had a piece of parchment tied on it. He picked it up and read it out loud, "_'We've cornered you. -The Shadows.'_ "

o~*~o

"Is this it?" Gilbert asked. Emily nodded, feeling around the wall of a cave. She heard something click as her hand landed on the wall, earning a triumphant "aha!" from the girl. She grunted as she pushed the wall in slightly before it slid to the right with little protest. A staircase led into infinite darkness, only slightly lit up by Gilbert's torch.

"Well, here we go." Gilbert muttered, leading the way. Out of caution, Emilly closed the door before walking through the underground tunnel. It smelled musty and tree roots stuck out randomly, blocking their path every so often. It was a straightforward path, turning slightly once in a while, but it didn't fork in any direction. They came across a curtain of roots, seemingly blocking their path, until Emily pushed through them. It was only a diversion. Behind it was a stone door, a large knob sticking out. Emily smirked in triumph, grabbing the knob. She tugged- it didn't open. Gilbert tried this time - it still wouldn't open.

"Darn it. It's locked from the inside!" Emily groaned, turning around. "Come on, lets go back." Gilbert nodded, moving to lead the way again, instead being thrown to the ground when the tunnel around them shook. He covered Emily protectively, blocking all of the dirt that was falling from the roof. The torch dropped to the ground, the flame flickering when the quake ceased. Gilbert looked up, cursing softly. The path leading to the outside world was covered. They were trapped.

o~*~o

Eugene crumpled up the note in his fist, running downstairs and cussing aloud the whole way. Rapunzel followed behind him, but slower, thinking of a possible exit route. Eugene slammed open drawer after drawer, feeling inside each of them until he'd found a matchbox and pulled out a match, instantly striking it and lighting a candle. He threw the loose "trapdoor" tile open and ran down the stairs, and his cussing never ceased. Rapunzel gripped the edge of a counter in anxiousness. A few moments later, Eugene came back up. She looked up at him curiously, but he shook his head. She gripped the counter so hard now, her knuckles were white. But this wasn't out of anger or frustration. This was out of fear. They'd really been cornered.

Suddenly an anxious whinny pierced the air. Eugene looked up. _'I know that whinny...It can't be...' _He ran up the stairs twice as quickly as he had done going down. He leaned against the edge of the open window, straining to take in as much as he could. A sudden smile lit up his face. Leave it to Max to come right on time.

Max whinnied again, trotting anxiously in place. Eugene nodded, moving to the bed. He tore off the sheets, tying the ends together. Rapunzel chuckled nervously. "Is a rope made from bedsheets going to hold us up?" Eugene shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. It's worth a shot though." Rapunzel laughed, lightly whacking Eugene with a frying pan. Eugene whined, clutching his head. "That's the Eugene I know and love."

He pouted. "Yeah, I'm feeling the love, alright." He heard another whinny and scowled. _'Jeez, be patient, Max, I'm trying my hardest here!'_ But then, more than one angry whinny cried out below the tower window and he raised an eyebrow in confusion. Max brought backup? He dropped what he was doing, and rushed over to the window again. What he saw made his face turn pale and his mind go numb. _'No. No, this _cannot_ be happening.'_ Rapunzel saw him tense up and walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Eugene? Are you…alright?" He couldn't answer, so she started shaking him, until she noticed that he was looking out the window. 'The Shadows' were here. And they'd brought torches. They were going to burn down the tower with the princess and her boyfriend trapped in it. And there would be no time for escape.

o~*~o

"Crud. Looks like we're trapped." Emily muttered, sinking against the wall. She curled up against the floor, sighing in annoyance. Gilbert sighed too, sitting next to his friend. Being "immortal", they didn't need air or food to live, but it was always a good thing. Being trapped also was a bummer, even if you could live forever. After five minutes, Gilbert cried out.

"This is so boring!" Emily nodded in agreement, groaning when the torch flickered, burning out, and leaving them in darkness. "REALLY?" They both screamed.

o~*~o

Eugene was the first to snap out of their trance. He angrily tossed the rope of bed-sheets aside, grumbling about lack of time. Rapunzel stayed frozen in shock at the window. Eugene tugged on her arm, and seeing that she didn't respond, walked over to an end of her dead hair. He pulled it over to the window, and glanced at Rapunzel worriedly before tossing it out the window, tying the other end in a tight knot over the hook. He then walked over to Rapunzel and pulled her into a strong, comforting kiss. He pulled away, and seeing that she still didn't respond, pulled her into another one. It took three and the rising scent of smoke to wake her up. Tears were rolling down her eyes. "What-what do we do?" He jerked his head in the direction of her hair, and she gasped.

"No…no, Eugene, anything but that."

He growled, "We don't have _time_ for anything else!"

She winced, and walked slowly to the window, jumping back when she touched her hair. She then reluctantly held on with both hands and jumped on, with her arms and legs clinging on for dear life. She breathed a sigh of relief when her feet touched the sodden grass at the bottom, and looked up at the flaming tower in the pouring rain. A few moments afterward, Eugene was by her side with Pascal and a frying pan in his hands. "Run. Run!" he shouted and pulled her by his side as they ran to Maximus and rode away from the place she'd spent nearly eighteen years of her life in.

o~*~o

Gilbert gasped, an idea flowering in his mind. He poked Emily, who was still sitting next to him tiredly. She looked up to see only darkness. "Yeah?" she asked, poking Gilbert back.  
>"You're Corona."<br>"And?"  
>"Isn't your country magical or something like that?" Gilberta asked. Emily gasped, nodding, though her friend couldn't see it. "Maybe I can tap into my powers!"<br>"Wait...what do you mean?" he questioned, raising an unseen eyebrow.  
>"Well...I'm a fairly, actually a pretty much newborn country, so my magic hasn't really kicked in yet, even if Corona evolved rather quickly. Here it goes." she muttered, remembering that one meeting with a blond traveler with the largest eyebrows ever. 'Just think of your happiest or worst memories, sing an ancient chant, or just wish.' he had said one day. Emily thought of her best and worst moments, to no luck. She tried singing an ancient morn...still didn't work. She stood up, crying out in frustration.<br>"Come on, magic! Work already!" she flung her arms up in the air in exasperation, freezing as warmth flooded her body. A small spark formed in her hands, both immortals cheering happily. They scowled as the spark fizzled, falling to the ground with no effect. "DARN IT!"

o~*~o

Maximus stopped right in front of the burning tower. "Aww, COME ON!" Eugene shouted, "Now is _not_ the time to bring our past up!" Max glared at him and backtracked a little. Eugene looked curiously back down at Max and got off. Max neighed. A look of recognition came upon Eugene's face. "What's that? Emily and Gilbert? Stuck in a secret tunnel?" Max neighed happily, and pointed down at the ground under them. Fortunately, Eugene understood and immediately grabbed the frying pan and started whacking and digging at the ground.

o~*~o

Emily groaned in annoyance while Gilbert rolled on the floor, laughing crazily. Tears streamed down his face as he rolled over a patch of lilacs. Emily conjured up a small orb of plasma. It rose into the dirt ceiling, cracking the surface. They froze, staring at the cracked roof above them, waiting for a good five minutes. When nothing happened, Gilbert busted up again.

"Wow, you're full of failure!" he said between choked sobs. He continued to laugh as Emily nodded in agreement. Her "magic" had only been good for growing grass, flowers, a small puddle of water, and cracking the ceiling.  
>o~*~o<p>

"Come on, come on," Eugene muttered as he was scooping and whacking out the dirt. "Eugene?" Rapunzel called shakily from Max's back, "I-I think you might want to hurry up." That only made him dig harder, and harder until finally, the ground gave away to a crouching Emily and Gilbert in a cave full of…flowers? A floating, glowing orb shot upwards making him look up in wonder, before shaking it off and helping the two of them up and out of the secret tunnel.

Emily and Gilbert smiled, brushing dirt off their clothes before expressing their thanks.

"Thanks so much! It was getting boring in there." Emily said, glaring at the hole in the ground. Gilbert nodded, punching Eugene in the arm. "Thanks, bro." Eugene smiled, punching him in the arm. "No problem." Rapunzel froze, staring at Max. "Uh, there's only one horse and four of us."

Emily glanced up at Gilbert as if she was asking permission to do something, and Gilbert nodded, smirking. She made a motion with her hands and chanted something under her breath, and suddenly, a unicorn came galloping into the clearing. Everyone had their mouths open in awe and Max was even blushing a little. Rapunzel was the first to speak.

"She's so pretty! Can we name her Rainbow?" She giggled as the unicorn whinnied happily and nuzzled her. Gilbert looked shockingly between Rapunzel and the unicorn. Eugene smirked. "She has a thing for animals."

Emily laughed. "I can see that!" she petted the unicorn's mane, earning a happy whinny from the horned horse. She quickly mounted, holding her hand out to Gilbert. "Hop on!" Gilbert snorted, looking away.

"I am not riding a unicorn! They're girly!" Emily smirked, and angry glint in her eyes. "Gilbert Weillschmidt, you are getting on this unicorn, now, or so help me, I will replace your entire wardrobe with dresses." Gilbert paled, his red eyes fearful. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, yes I would." Emily smirked evilly, madness seeming to take over. Thunder crackled in the distance. Gilbert gulped, hopping on the unicorn behind Emily. His face turned a wonderful shade of scarlet, eyes shut in embarrassment. Oh, how Emily loved to torment Gilbert.


End file.
